Motherhood
by Mystical Goddess
Summary: Alanna has met a challenge she can't exactly overcome: MOTHERHOOD! This is my first story, please R&R! Thank you!


(Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine...you know the drill.)  
  
Thom was the cutest thing in the world until he turned four. After I suffered for five hours in labor, Thom was born. George and I were so happy but there was a big problem. What did we do now? I mean, the baby's here, we've been preparing for months. Now what?   
  
My mother had died giving birth to me and my brother. George's father had left his mother. I had no clue how to be a parent. How was I supposed to be a "good mommy"? The nice thing about Pirate's Swoop was the fact that there was a nursery handy. And plenty of nursemaids.  
  
Sure, I felt guilty and everything, saddling those women in there with MY baby. I mean, I spent time with Thom, ate with him, taught him how to walk. I just didn't have to change diapers, wake up in the middle of the night, and clean up messes. When Thom was about two years old, I found out I was pregnant again. George was thrilled. He always wanted a big family. I was unsure, but I figured I could handle a baby. I promised myself I'd give the nursemaids a break. Take care of this baby all on my own. I always keep my promises. Unfortunately, I gave birth to twins.   
  
When one wanted to sleep, the other wanted to eat. When one wanted to play, the other wanted to read a story. I barely slept at all. One day, when they were six months old, I dug my pregnancy charm out again. I slipped it over my neck. Just in case. I loved my babies, I loved them so much. But I overwhelmed. I needed a break. I didn't need any more babies crawling around.  
  
That night, I was laying in bed. The children were asleep. George reached over and pulled me close to him. He kissed me, and then pulled away. "Why're you wearin' your charm?" he asked.  
  
I blushed. "I'm wearing because I want to," I said tartly.   
  
Thom's third birthday came around, and I "released" him from the nursery. I am a full time mother. That's what I kept telling myself. A mother. Not a knight or a champion. I didn't like that idea at all.  
  
George barely helped. He was always busy. He was out, riding around, making agreements with people. He was the "champion", not me. I felt pushed aside. I felt unhappy.  
  
This is the way my life goes now. Thom is almost four, and the twins just turned one. I'm sitting there, helping Alianne walk. She's learning late, because she had no interest in walking before. No, not when I am there to carry her.  
  
"Mama!" Thom yells, running down the hall. "Mama!"  
  
"What?" I ask, holding Alianne's hands so she can take tiny baby steps without falling over, as Alan chews a piece of bread. I look at Thom, and his hands are behind his back. Never a good sign.  
  
"Guess what I found!" he says, eyes sparkling mischieviously. His red hair is rumpled, and his clothes are sooty. There is a long, black smudge running down his cheek.  
  
"Thom," I say sharply, trying to be patient. "Were you playing in the fireplace again?" I grimace. That last statement makes me sound like a wonderful mother, huh? "You were supposed to be eating your lunch."  
  
"Guess what I found, Mama!" he demands, not answering my question.  
  
"Thom, what were you doing?" I ask, excepting the piece of crust Alan offered, while holding the giggling Alianne steady.  
  
"GUESS MAMA GUESS!" he hops around, impatiently.  
  
"You found...a...um...diamond?" I guess, scooping Alianne up.  
  
"Nope," he says. "I found this!" He holds up a burnt piece of wood. "It looks like a dog if you look at it like this," he says, squinting his hazel eyes.  
  
"Now, Thomas," I say, in my no-nonsense-I'm-the-mommy-you-listen-to-ME voice. "Where you digging around the fireplace?"  
  
He looks at the floor. "No," he lies, wiping sooty hands on his already-dirty breeches.  
  
"Thom, don't you lie to me," I say, grabbing Alan's hand before he pokes his sister. "Where were you?"  
  
"In the fireplace," he admits. "I was lookin' for treasure."   
  
I sigh, rubbing my temples. "Let's give you a bath." I ask one of the servants to fill a tub. I instruct Thom to go in there, and get ready. I carry Alianne and Alan to the nursery. I'm not breaking my promise. I'm just dropping them off briefly.  
  
A while later, Thom is clean. I sit down on a couch, and pat the side of it. He comes over and sits down. "Thom," I begin my lecture. "You are not to go into the fireplace! You get dirty, it's disgusting in there-," I go on. He stops paying attention. "Thom," I say sternly, and he snaps to attention. "You are not to lie to me, or to your da. If you do, you're going to be punished." Punishment for him would be sending him to the nursery. "Okay?" I ask him.   
  
"Mmmhmmm," he hums, and he gets up.   
  
"Time to put you to bed," I tell him.  
  
"No," he says, stubbornly.  
  
"Thom. Bedtime. Now," I say warningly. "Let's move it."   
  
"No, mama!" he whines. I'm loosing my patience. I'm getting very angry.   
  
"Thom. You are going to bed right now," I tell him. "I'm in charge."  
  
"No, da's in charge," he tells me. My palms itch to slap his face, but I take a deep breath. George is coming home soon, he was visiting Fief Falcon Peak today.  
  
"Thom, if you don't go to bed, I'll tell da, and he'll be very upset. He may make new rules for you. Like going to bed an hour earlier."  
  
He finally trudges up the winding stairs. I tuck him in, and kiss him forehead. As I creep down the hall, I hear Alan crying. I give him some water to drink, but he wakes Alianne up. I have to read two stories before they fall asleep.   
  
Just as I leave, George walks upstairs. He greets me with a kiss. "How are you, darlin' girl?" he asks, smoothing the hair out of my face.  
  
"Tired and exasperated. Thom's a terror. Alianne and Alan are noisy," I say, bluntly. "And, you weren't home all today."  
  
George bites his lip. I ask what's wrong. "I hafta go away for a week," he says. "Turns out, Rispah had some problems with bandits. She an' Coram are fine," he says, reading the look on my face. "I'm sorry, Alanna." He kisses me again. I nod, but I don't want him to leave.  
  
George leaves at sunrise. I call in Paul, the horsemaster. I tell him to hook Darkmoon and Sundance up to the carriage. I gently wake up Thom and the twins. "No arguments," I tell them. "We're going on a little trip." I hire Paul to drive us to Corus. I tell Maude to tell George I'm staying with Thayet. We leave right away.  
  
We arrived in Corus at sundown the next day. I'm a mess. The children fought the whole time. I need help. I go through all the guards. They're happy to see me. "Hello, Sir Alanna!" "Long time, no see, Sir Alanna," they all say. I feel like a knight again. I see Thayet.  
  
"Thayet!" I call and wave, she rushes over, looking puzzled. "Can I stay with you for a week or two? George is going on some trip, and my children are driving me crazy!"  
  
She smiles. "Finally, a challenge you can't handle," she teases. I smile. She's probably right. 


End file.
